On-line education changes the way we think of college life

In the past, traditional universities dismissed online education. As society approaches the future, the popularity of persuing an education opposite that of traditional schools has increased.

This year online course enrollment will reach approximately 1.7 million students, that is triple those that enrolled in 2017. Nearly 10% of all students enrolled in college or a university will be enrolled in an online school.

The University of Phoenix was the country’s first online university in 1989.

As students continue to enroll in online colleges and universities, officials are expecting many new on-line schools to open.

“Online education is a great way to give additional education support,” said Bill Pepicello, president of the University of Phoenix. “Some of the large colleges and universities will reinvent themselves to get in the online market.”

The University of Phoenix is successful because it takes access to education to levels that a traditional colleges do not provide. Approximately 300 thousand students are attending either online or at one of the over 190 University of Phoenix campus locations, officials say.

“Online education allows a greater number and diversity of classes to be offered, because online courses aren’t constrained by time or location,” Pepicello said. “In some instances, online education enchances class-size issues, because some students may not be able to physically attend class but can attend the class online.”

The University of Phoenix is also an excellent option for those who do not wish to attend traditional colleges or universities.

“It’s more productive for some types of students, notably those who perform better with a more diverse schedule where time and location is not an issue,” Pepicello said.

A group that most on-line universities and colleges call their bread and butter are those students that are considered ‘non-tranditional students’ by other college and university institutes.

“There is not a standard profile for a University of Phoenix online student, other than they will be more tech savvy as a whole,” Pepicello said.

Accusations have surfaced of online program being ‘degree factories’ and providing attending students with below standard educaiton. Pepicello said the online college and universities are still trying to perfect the online education market.

Online universities and traditional universities offering online services, are trying to make the experience more well rounded.